Engine-starting device.



P. P. AU BUGHON. ENGINE STARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED HA3. 9, 1910.

' Patented Dec.13,1910.

Z BHEET SSHEET 1.

51mm Ito z PPAuBudw P. P. AU BUCHUN. EKGIHE STARTING DEVICE nnwumu FILED mm. s, 1 -0.

2 5HEBTSBHEET 2.

Eaiented Dec. 13, 1910.

PETER P. AU BUCHON, F FRENCH VILLAGE, MISSOURI ENGINE-STARTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Application filed March 9,1910. Serial N 0. 548,272.

. To all whom it may concern: i I Be it known that I, PETER P. AU-BUoHoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at French Village, in the county of St. Francois 15,15 and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine- Starting Devices, of which the following is p a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. "i0 This invention relates to engine starting devices and more particularly to a device of this character which is adapted for starting 1 engines of motor vehicles and is so constructed and arranged that it may be operated 15." iromthe vehicle seat occupied by the chaufeur.

tivly simple device of thiseharacter which is so constructed and arranged that it can be ,convenien-tly-mounted beneath the body of I the machine and is capable of being rapidly operated to secure the necessary initial move .meiit ofthe fiy wheel of the engine to reciprocate the engine pistons.

' Aft-further object resides in the provision oflimpi'oved mechanism of the above charactorwhich is adaptedto be automatically .thrown out of gear after the engine has been started, the starting gear being actuated by 39 means of a suitable foot lever extending through the body of the machine.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of the novel features of ,construction and the combination and ar- ,,-rangen1ent of parts hereinafterfully de-' scribed and claimed, and illustrated in the,

accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is. a side elevation of an improved engine starting device embodying my improvement-s showin the same arranged beneath the body of connected with the engine shaft; Fig. 2 is a i ,topjplan view of the starting mechanism removed; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken y 45 ,on the line 3+3 ofFi'g. 2; and Fig. 4 is a'de--,

g i tail perspective view of one of the ratchets ,-;and theyoke embracing the same.-

l Referring in detail to the drawings 51in- 5;dicates "thebody 'of-a' motor driven vehicle, Q,- =and Gathegoperiitorgjsi,seat; An' engin e7="of. puny suitable or afllproved construction I-is" mounted in the meal manner-beneath the body of the machine-and forwardly 'of the seat 6. 8 indieatesthe' fly wheel of the en gine. The engine shaft!) in the usual eon .Another object is to provide a compare the vehicle and struction of such vehicles extends from this fly wheel through the radiator casing and is adapted to have a. crank attached tothe end thereof by means of which the fly wheel may be manually rotated until it acquires the necessary velocity to cause the operation of the engine.

It is the primary object of my invention to eliminate this undesirable feature of motor vehicle construction and to produce a simple and positively acting device which is adapted to be operated by the chauffeur. To accomplish this end the position of the fly wheel with respect to the engine is reversed,'or, in other words, it is positioned on the engine shaft rearwardly of the engine and immediately in advance of the seat 6.

My improved engine operating mechanism is mounted upon. a base 10 which is supported upon the chassis of thevehicle in any suitable manner. Journaled bearings 11 are secured to thisbase and in these bearings the engine shaft 9 is rotatably mounted. A pinion 12 is rigidly secured uponthe engine shaft between the bearings 11, collars 13 being disposed upon said sha -fton each side of thepinion and secured to the shaft by means of the set screws let. The pinion 12 would preferably be keyed upon the engine shaft, the collars l3 effectually preventing any longitudinal movement thereof.

in. the journal. bearings 16, saidbearings --;bein'g arranged adjacent to the bearings 11 which 'support the engine'shaft. Upon this shaft 15 a pinion 17 is slidably mounted. A grooved collar 18 is integrally formed upon one face of the pinion 17. A nut or washer 19 abuts against the, other face of the pinion 17. The piniomeollar and nut are locked together by means of a key 20 whereby they are caused to move together upon the shaft.

22 is secured upon the shaft 15 means compression in the forward sliding move- Eig. 2, as will be now thesame' to its normal position', as shown in set forth.

A .shaft is mounted upon the base 10 l The key 20 is slidably mounted in a longitudinally extending groove 21 formed in the shaft 15. 'A collar of the set screw 23, and between this collar fa-ndithe' nut' '19 a coil spring is. arranged upon thejshaft. Thisspring is placed under" ment of the pinion and isadapted to return H slidii'ig movement. of said. bar. Upon one A shaft 25 is mounted for longitudinal placing the coil spring 24 under compressliding movement in a bearing 2ti,secured to the base 10. The forward end of this shaft is pivotally connected to a foot operated lever I which extends through the bottom of the vehicle body and is formed with a knurled head 28 with which the operator's foot engages. The lower end of this lever is pivotally secured between the spaced cars 35 it transversely extending yoke :50 is rigidly secured to the other end of the shaft 25 and has its arms positioned in the peripheral groove of the sliding collar 18. A collar 31 is secured upon the shaft 25 by means of the set screw 32 and limits the forward movement of said rod, whereby the proper meshing engagement of the pmions 17 and 12 is assured.

Upon the rear end of the shaft 1.5 a beveled pinion 3 is secured. This pinion is engaged with the teeth of a miter gear 3st se cared to the end of a transversely posit ioned shaft 35. bearings'Sti and carries the spaced ratchet wheels 3? which are rigidly secured thereto. Each of the ratchets 3? extends between the arms of a yoke member 38 loosely mounted upon theshaft 35. These members each have a gravity pawl 39 arranged between the upper ends of their arms, said pawls being adapted to engage the teeth of the ratehets to alternately lock the yoke mem bers upon the shaft whereby said shaft. is rotated, These yoke members are adapted to be oscillated upon the shaft 35 in opposite direct-ions, and are each pivoted at their upper endsto a lGClPlOCZ-ll'lllg arm 40. The

arms 10 are bifurcated to receive. the yokemembers, the. pivotpin securing the gravity pawl in the yoke members also pivotally eonneetingtl e members in the bifurcated ends of the arms so. lhese arms extend rearwardly and are pivotally conneetedto the opposite ends of a vertically positioned bar -11. Th; bar is keyed upon a rotatably mounted shaft -12, said shaft being mounted in the bearings arrahged upon the base 10. collar H is secured upon the shaft on opposite sides of the bar by means of the set screws .45, and effectually preventsany end of the'shaft 42 the operating lever 46 is secured. This lever extends upwardly through the-bottom ot' the machine body and when manipulated by the ope 'atoi' rotates the shaft in its hearings to effect the operation of the engine starting mechanism in the following manner: Upon the pressure of the operator s foot upon' the upper end of the lever 27 and the forwardmovement of this lever. the rod 25 is moved in its hearing and the pinion '17 longitudinally moved upon the shaft if) to engage its teeth with the teeth of the pinion l2 secured upon the engine shaft, this movement of the gear 17 This shaft is mounted in suitable.

'to elleet the desired results in any of siull. The operator retains his foot upon the lever 27 while. he manipulates the operating lever to. this lever is moved back and forth, the shaft 452 is oscillated, whereby the arms it) are caused to reciprocate in opposite directions, and oscillate the yoke members fin-upon the transverse shaft 35. The forwardly moving arm will cause the rotation of the shaftas the gravity pawl 39 carried by one of the yoke members locks this member and the ratchet 3? upon the shaft so that they move together, while the other of the yoke members, being loose .upon the shaft, will rotate independently of the other ratchet wheel, said ratchet wheel moving with the transverse shaft Upon the reverse movement of the operating lever 46, the member 35 which was first looked upon the shaft with the ratchet is independently moved thereon while the other of said members is locked whereby the shaft, 35 iscansed to 1'0- tate constantly in the same direct-ion as long as the operating lever is actuated. This ro tation of the shaft 35 impartsrotary 1novenient to the shaft. 15 through the miter gear 31 and the beveled pinion 33, which in turn rotates the engine shaft and the fly wheel through the intermeshing engagement of the pinions 12- and 1T. The proportionate diameters of the pinion and gear 3.4; may be altered as may be desired in relation to the rapidity of movement of the operating lever. For general use it has been found that a pinion one-third the diameter of the gear will rotate the engine shaft at sufficientvelocity to quickly start the engine and it is believedthat this proportion willbe fo nd various makes of motor vehicle engi After the engine has been started the opera tor releases his footfrom thelever 27,,and the spring it will immediately throw the. pinion 1? out of gear with the pinion 12 thus disconnecting the starting mechanism from the engine shaft, v

"From the above itis believed that the construction, operation and many novel fealures of my improved engine starting mechanism will be rea-dilyl understood.' The d evice is simple, may be easily and quickly operated, and is highly efficient for the pur poses in view. The arrangementof the various parts obviates the necessity of the operator leaving his seat, and affords means whereby the greatloss of time heretofore consequent upon the constant necessity ofrestart-ing the engine after the machine has been stopped, is eliminated. The form of the device shown in the drawings and here inbetore specifically set forth embodies What I believe to be the most. desirable construc tion and arrangement of parts, but I. desire it to be understood that the same is susceptible of various other arrangements and minor modifications without de arting from the essential features or sacri cing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a motor vehicle engine, of engine startingmechanism co1nprising a shaft transversely positioned'with respect to the engine shaft, ratchet wheels rigidly secured on said shaft, a second rotatably mounted shaft, a bar fixed thereon extending'upon'opposite sides of said shaft,

a reciprocatmg arm pivotally connected to each end'of said bar, gravity pawls carried by said arms each movable over the teeth of one of the ratchet wheels, said pawls being alternately locked with their respective ratchet wheels upon the reciprocation of said arms to rotate the first named shaft con tinuously in one direction, and gearing connecting said transverse shaft and the engine shaft whereby the engine shaft may be rotated. I v

2. The combination with a motor vehicle engine, of starting means comprising a shaft transversely positioned with respect to the engine shaft, ratchet wheels secured thereon, yoke members loosely mounted on said shaft, said ratchet wheels being disposed between the arms of the respective yoke members, a gravity pawl arranged be tween the arms of each of said members adapted for'alternate lockin engagement with the respective ratchetw eel, a second shaft, a bar secured to said shaft extending upon opposite sides thereof, reciprocating arms pivoted to the ends of said bar and to said yoke members, a lever secured to the last named shaft to oscillate the same and reciprocate said arms whereby the yoke members are alternately locked to their respective ratchet wheels, to rotate the first named shaft continuously in one direction, a gear on the end of the first name-d shaft, a pinion secured on the engine shaft, and manually I operable gearing between the transverse shaft and the engine shaft adapted to connect the pinion and gear whereby the engine shaft may be rotated.

l The combination with a motor vehicle engine, of engine starting mechanism arranged beneath the body of the vehicle, said mechanism comprising a shaft transversely positioned With'relation to the engine shaft, ratchet wheels secured thereon, yoke members loosely mounted upon theshaft, said ratchet wheels being positioned between the arms of the yoke members, a gravity pawl carried by each of saidmembers adapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheels to lock said members on the shaft, reciprocating arms pivotally connected to said members, a second rotatably mounted shaft, a bar fixed thereon, said arms being connected to the opposite ends of the bar, an

operating lever secured on one end of said shaft, the rotation of said shaft being adapted to reciprocate the arms in opposite directions and alternately lock the yoke members with the ratchet wheels, whereby .in one direction. a pinion on the engine shaft, a gear secured on-the'transversc shaft,

and manually operable gearing between said pnnon and gear adapted to connect and disconnect the same to rotate said engine shaft.

4:. The combination with a motor vehicle.

engine of starting mechanism arranged 'beneath the'vehicle body and adapted to bein bearings and disposed parallel to the engine shaft, a beveled pinion on said shaft engaging with the gear on the transverse shaft, a. sliding pinion on the parallel shaft normally out of engagement with the pinion on the engine shaft, means for sliding said pinion into engagement with the pinion on the engine shaft, and means for automati' cally returning the slidingpinion to its inoperative position.

5, The combination with a motor vehicle engine, of starting mechanism for said engine, said mechanismcomp-rising a rotatable shafttransversely positioned with respect to the engine shaft, manually operated means for rotating said shaft, a pinion secured on' the engine shaft, a gear secured on the transverse shaft, a. shaft rotatably mounted in parallel relation with the en'- gine shaft, a gear secured thereon meshing with the gear on the transverse shaft, a pinion mounted on the parallel shaft, said pinion having a collar formed thereon, a key carried by said pinion and collar, said shaft having a longitudinal slot to movably receive thekey, manually operated means for sliding the pinion on the shaft-into engagement with the pinion on said engine shaft,--and means for automatically returning the sliding pinion to its inoperative position. l

6. The combination with a motor vehicle engine, "of operating mechanism for starting the same, said mechanism. comprising a ro-' tatably mounted shaft transversely positioned with respect tothe engine. shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a pinion secured on the engine shaft, a shaft rotatably 70' said transverse shaft is constantly rotated i eta]. movement of said lever being adapted to slide the pinion on the shaft into engagement with the pinion on the engine she. t,

whereby said engine shaft may be rotated. 15 In testimony whereof I hereunto-MEX my sigi'ieture in the presence of two Witnesses.

PETER r. AU BUoHoN. Witnesses G. M. Lonnnsr,

M. G. LYDDANE.

peripheral groove :1 coil spring on the shaft J between said pinion and one of the shaft hearings, a rod slidzibly mounted adjacent l tosaid shaft, a collar secured thereon to limit its forward sliding movement, a yoke I secured on one end of said she-ft having its I arms disposed in the peripheral groove of I the collar carried by the pinion, a pivoted foot lever extending through the bodyof the n'iachine, said rod being pivotally connected thereto at its forward end, the pivl 

